Process of recovering vanadium



be efiected in the about the transposition, and consequently WILLIAM anarenas, of ,nocxvmnn cnnrnn, new roan, Assmnon r0 UNrrms'ra'rrs'rnocnssns, rare, on NEW roan, n. r, A coarona'r onor NEW roan.

PRQCESS OF RECOVERING VANADI'UH.

We firawing.

Processes of Recovering Vanadium, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to processes of in recovering vanadium, and aimstoprovide improvements therein.

' The present invention provides a process involving a transposition ofthe vanadium compound in an ore wherein a savin may heat required toring "render the grocess economical in the amount of fuel use g Theinvention further provides a process wherein the heat conditions areespecially favorable to a transposition of the vanadium compound to themeta form, in which form its solubility is good Heretofore, it has beenthe practice to q transpose vanadium ores by heating them with soda ash,mixed with one or more of common salt, sulphur and sulphur compounds,the heating being-carried on at' a comparatively high temperature, from800 Such process or processes are comparative ly expensive, due to thehigh temperature, and consequent use of fuel, necessary to produce thetransposition, and the high tempera- 5 ture tends to transposethevanadium compound to; its ortho form, which form is less soluble thanthe meta form, and, hence, increases the difiiculty of obtaining a com-.plete extraction of the vanadium compound.

a According to the present invention, I replace, in whole or in part,the transposing agents heretofore used,gby' a salt of an alkalimetalhaving a low melting point, such as sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate,and

heat the mixture of ore and transposing to same time, producing ameta-compound of the vanadium, which, on leaching or extraction withwater, or a weak and or alkahne sodium nitrate.

Application flied- Ian'uary. 19; 1921. Serial 180. 488,486.

solution, readily and completely dissolves.

The heat employed is advantageously approximately that of the meltingpoint of the ow melting-point transposing agentin the case of sodiumnitrate, for'e'xample, 316 (1., and, in the case of potassium nitrate337 C. The reaction will take lace at a temperature somewhat below the tiision temperature of the transposing agent, but a convenienttemperature is approximately that of the melting point of thetransposing agent. The

reaction will also take place at higher temperatures, but there is noadvantage in using such higher temperatures.

After transposing, the soluble vanadium compound is dissolved, andrecovered from the solution in any suitable or well known manner,usually oxide V 0 An example, or specific mode of practic- 1ng7theprocess is as follows anadium ore, for example, roscoelite, preferablycrushed, is mixed with about by precipitation as-vanadic 10%, by weight,of sodium nitrate, for

example, and the mixture is then heated to 316 0% the melting point ofthe preferably nder furnace conditions, however, it will be understoodthat there is considerable variation, during normal working, from anygiven temperature. It will also be understood that good results, asregards to transfusion, can be obtained by heating to a comparativelyhigh temperature, though such is unnecessary and uneconomial in the useof fuel. Moreover, the percentage named above, of the sodium nitrate,may be varied considerably, inasmuch as the percentage used is not ofthe greatest importance. After the vanadium constituents in the mixture.of ore and sodium nitrate has been transposed, the soluble vanadate,mostly, if not entirely, the meta vanadate, is extracted in any suitablemanner, as, for'example, by leaching with a weak acid or alkalinesolution, from which solution the vanadium constituent may be.

precipitated in'suitable' manner, for example, by adding any suitableacid, for example,

sulphuric acid, to precipitate vanadic oxide V 0 which is a form inwhich the vanadium is customarily marketed. I

The invention may be practiced in other particular modes than thatherein specifical- 1y described, and parts of the process may admixturecomprising heating an ore in admixture 9 vanadium,

with an alkali-metal nitrate, the tempera- 15 ture being betweenapproximately 337 C. and 316 C. I

A. A process of recovering comprising heating an ore in with sodiumnitrate.

5. A process of recovering vanadium, comprising heating an ore inadmixture with sodium nitrate, the temperature being approximately 316C.

vanadium, admixture In witness whereof, I have hereunto 25 signed myname.

WILLIAM E. STOKES.

